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Roasted Garlic and Rutabaga Mash

It’s been a busy fall. There were trips to attend two weddings on the west coast (both in Portland!), hiking in Zion (post to come) and an adventurous motorcycle ride through a thunderstorm in the dark desert (barely survived). With all this fun, I haven’t had much time to write. Rather than do a TBT or FBF re-post, I figured I’d share a new fall recipe and highlight an ingredient that was new to me — the rutabaga!

How did I end up with this unusual root vegetable? My CSA of course! My choice was between another spaghetti squash or something I’d never cooked with before. Being my daring self, I opted for the challenge.

Similar to a turnip but less bitter, it’s a great fall side dish. Most recipes call for roasting or treating it like a potato — boiling and mashing. I wanted to try both, so I did. Here’s a fast little recipe. And it tastes great without the mashing, if you want to stop there.

DirectionsPreheat the oven to 400 degrees.
Cut the rutabaga in half and peel it. Then cut it into cubes as much as possible.
Drizzle some olive oil on the garlic and wrap tightly in tin foil.

Toss the rutabaga pieces in olive oil or chili oil if you want a little kick (I did). Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Roast the rutabaga and the garlic in the oven for about an hour. Stir the rutabaga occasionally so that it roasts evenly. When it is soft it’s done.

In a larger bowl or a food processor, squeeze a few cloves of the roasted garlic into the rutabaga. Add the milk and mash. If you aren’t using a food processor, don’t use a potato ricer to mash – it will just get stuck. I used my immersion blender to try to achieve the finest puree that I could. No matter what you use, it won’t be as smooth as mashed potatoes. But there’s where the cream cheese or sour cream comes in, it helps to even out the texture. You might only add a couple tablespoonfuls – put a little in and see how it looks. You can also sprinkle in some grated cheese. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed. With the chili oil, it gave it just a hint of spice, so I didn’t need anything more.